


A Favour for Death

by GrendelGrowls



Category: Original Work, The Sandman (Comics), Warframe
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/F, Female Friendship, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Lesbian Sex, Original Character(s), Penis In Vagina Sex, Pre-Relationship, Size Difference, Strap-Ons, Useless Lesbians, Vaginal, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:00:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24884995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrendelGrowls/pseuds/GrendelGrowls
Summary: A Kuva Lich pleads with Death for a chance to be reborn one more time, even though the Tenno should have killed her for good. Fortunately, Death has a soft spot for women like her...
Relationships: Death of The Endless/Kuva Lich
Comments: 18
Kudos: 15





	1. Dead Again

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not very familiar with Sandman's version of Death, so please excuse any out-of-character stuff. She was mostly included as a semi-request from a friend, but I'm growing to like her, even if I'm still not very knowledgeable about her as a character.

The moment the Frost Prime’s blade entered her skull, Axakk Otikk knew she was dead. Unlike the thousands of bullets she had been able to endure thanks to the Kuva running through her body, this single attack severed her from the old blood’s empowering influence. Each past death, each dose of pain she had ignored, began to bubble to the surface again. She only had seconds to live, each one tearing her degenerated flesh further and further apart.

She had been beaten. Fairly. There was nothing left to complain about, no reason to feel anger towards the Tenno any longer: their victory signalled that their rivalry had ended.

Otikk was the lesser warrior, and she could finally rest.

Activating her communications system, she sent out a public message to everybody nearby, hoping to let the Tenno hear her final words. Even if she was quickly forgotten, she had one last chance to leave an impression. It wasn’t a long message, but she was fading fast, her body emptying itself of the Kuva’s power and influence at an unbelievable rate.

“Bodily stress... exceeds... engineering... tolerances.”

With nothing but a breath to cap off her final words, she felt her body begin to break down under the strain. Her barely-functioning eye watching as their Tenno adversary simply picked up her weapon and ran off to complete the rest of their mission: they would no doubt put it to good use. No matter what happened, a small part of her legacy would live on in the battlefield.

It was getting harder to think now. Her brain must be starting to break down too. She was prepared for it. It was time to let go and drift off, time to enjoy the death that she had been denied during their first encounter.

With one last exhale, Axakk Otikk felt the cold air of the Grineer Galleon pass into her lungs as the last remnants of her consciousness began to fade away.

At least, that’s what was supposed to happen.

"Ugh, it's you again."

"Yes."

Axakk had expected to see this woman again. She was a figure from her dreams, but not in a desirable sense. Every temporary death, every failure, was punctuated by a visit from the pale figure standing before her.

"I don't like doing this, you know. It's just my job, and you're making it more difficult than it needs to be." Death was looking as perfect as ever, a side-effect of being what she was. Had her one-piece, low-cut garment been any colour other than black, the Lich may have mistaken her for a member of Orokin society. Every feature on her face looked like it had been formed by hand – in a sense, perhaps it had, by Death herself.

"I do not care for your bureaucracy. The Old Blood places me above such things. I will return, as I always do.”

“You’re dead.” It was not a threat, nor a warning – just an observation. “That Tenno got you, right through the brain. There was a _lot_ of blood. It looks like he got lucky this time.”

“Dead?” The Lich moved her hand down to her body and gave her metal-covered chest a few taps. “I do not feel dead.”

“Well, you are. Sorry.”

Axakk took a step towards the pale lady, making sure to land her foot with a loud stomp. “The Old Blood does not allow it! This temporary banishment means nothing!”

Death smiled, brushing some none-existent dust off her clothing. “Nothing. Such a useful word, isn’t it? It can mean anything and everything.”

“Do not play games with me.”

“It’s a line from ‘Mary Poppins’. You won’t know what that is, though. Shame, really, it’s good fun.”

The Lich was beginning to worry now. Her rebirths didn’t usually take this long to kick in, and would often cut off her conversations with Death before they went on this long. “I have not heard of this Mary Poppins. I do not understand how she relates to my return.”

“Look, Otikk, I’ll just be honest with you. You’re _dead_. That Tenno delivered the final blow and you’re not coming back from it. You _lost_ , and now it’s my responsibility to handle what comes next. I’ve always been here, and every other Kuva Lich before has gone through the same _routine_.” Death crossed her arms, her expression serious but on the edge of a smile. “It’s time for you to go.”

“No.”

“No?”

Raising up to her full height, Axakk shook her head. “No. I will remain.”

“You can’t, you don’t get to decide these things…”

“Then I will bargain. My body is a weapon. You are Death. I can kill for you.”

“But that isn’t how I do my…“ Death cut herself off mid-sentence, an amused smirk creeping onto her face. Something about the way she looked up and down the Kuva Lich’s augmented body felt playful, almost teasing. “You’re… actually _scared_ , aren’t you? You’re scared of dying.”

“I… am. Grineer do not fear death because they have not experienced it. I have.” Without thinking, Axakk placed one hand over the Kuva bauble that had been built in place of her right eye. It was cold. Empty. _Lifeless_. “I do not want to die. Not again. Not forever.”

“Everybody has to go sometime, sunshine. There’s nothing I can do.”

“Yes there is. Let me live.”

“You know I can’t-“

“Why not?”

Those two words were the only ones she needed to give Death pause. The darkly-dressed being – Axakk had no idea what she _really_ was – sighed for a moment, placing one hand on her hip. “This is why I don’t like the ones that come back. They ask the hard questions. _Technically_ , I can keep you alive, but my job requires me to escort the dead away.”

“And I have _already_ died without your escort. You have already failed with me. Another failure would mean nothing.”

There was another extended pause. Slowly, Death slid the straps of her dress down her shoulders and onto her elbows, allowing the topmost area to fall away and reveal her bare flesh.

“If you can make me look forward to our future meetings, then I’ll consider it. What do you say?”

No sooner had she posed the question, than Axakk began approaching. Despite being both dead and a shell of her former self, she had always maintained a… _soft spot_ of sorts for the right kinds of people. Death just happened to fit right in between her two favourite categories: ‘short’ and ‘self-confident’. It was easy for a Kuva Lich to indulge in whatever pleasures they wanted, but few others had the blind confidence - or utter foolishness – to stand up to her.

That, and Death hit another of her very well-hidden buttons, too. Specifically, she came from somewhere else, beyond the limits of the Origin System and its long, muddied history. She was an experience that would not, and _could not_ , present itself to many people.

Perhaps she would be the only being in this entire System, this entire _reality_ , who could truthfully claim that she had fucked Death itself.

“I accept. Prepare yourself.”

“Already have, Lichie. Do your worst.”

Death moved to remove the rest of her clothing, but Axakk was ready, reaching out with her giant metal paws. Clumsily working around the bulkiness of her fingers, she grabbed one of the straps in each hand and pulled them in opposite directions, tearing the woman’s clothing in half while it was still covering her sensitive body. Her extreme strength made it come to pieces like a sheet of paper, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Being what she was, Death seemed only mildly phased, but the Lich had expected as such. Not wanting to disappoint the lady that held the key to her resurrection, she tossed the clothing to the ground and wrapped both hands around Death’s waist, effortlessly lifting her thin self into the air.

Before her partner could question what she was doing, Axakk raised her higher, using the augmentations in her limbs to quickly place the slender above her head. With one slow movement, she placed Death up against her face, allowing her legs to hang down behind her metallic back while supporting the pale women in place.

Wasting no time, she dove in.

It had been a long time since she had been able to taste something like this, and the wait was worth it. Death’s slit had a taste she could not discern, one that seemed to lie outside of her normal expectations – just like Death herself, in a way. The gentle groans that followed only worked to fuel her licks, each one making Axakk more and more interested in exactly how far a woman like this was able to go.

Within only a few dozen licks, she had already found the spot she was looking for. The groans turned into moans and a familiar wetness began to approach as she focused on turning Death’s body inside-out, keeping her still in her large, cold hands.

“Axah! Axagh!”

There weren’t many benefits to such a long name, but making somebody struggle to finish it between moans was one of the few reasons the Lich was glad to possess it. Increasing the intensity of her approach and applying more pressure, she carried on with her detailed inspection of the pale lady’s precious spaces, refusing to let up this early.

Death tasted good. Death _felt_ good. Watching Death slowly come apart this quickly was _extremely good_ , and Axakk already wanted to take things further. Pulling her mouth away for a second, she decided that some light teasing was in order.

“You are not as untouchable as you think. I expected more from a being like you.”

“If that’s how youuu-“ Death was cut off once again and Axakk’s tongue re-entered her, causing a series of small groans to escape her lips. This was good, but it wasn’t good _enough_ , not for the Lich to earn her return.

So, she would work harder.

Speeding up and applying even more force to her licks, Axakk put as much of her attention on the task as possible, trying to trick her brain into going even further than it normally would. The Old Blood gave her the strength to do more than any mortal being, and that meant that she could do much, much more. Death was nothing more than a target in this situation.

The goal stopped being about her rebirth. Now, in her head, she was completely focused on making Death submit through any means necessary. That meant even more intensity.

Apparently, Death had been barely holding herself back from the very start. The muscles in her limbs began to suddenly buck as her moans turned to a loud exclamation of pleasure, followed by the wetness and warmth of her body spilling out onto the Lich’s torso. Even once the rush of liquid had stopped, she continued to gently vibrate and struggle against herself for a while.

“We are not done.”

Death hadn’t even been able to catch her breath, and was barely able to utter “Axakk…” before she found herself shifted around again. Removed from the Kuva Lich’s grasp, she fell onto the metal flooring with a hefty slap, one that was compounded by the spillage beneath her.

“I did not expect Death herself to be so weak.” Leaning down to get a good look at the woman’s eyes, the Lich did her best smirk with whatever natural muscles she had left. “You enjoy this.”

She wasn’t given a response. Mentally shrugging, she reached down to the pelvic plates of her armour and released a few small clasps, allowing the augmentations to spring out of their temporary positions.

An artificial phallus, loaded with Neurode sensors and other carefully-built equipment, stood ready. While Axakk had always been fond of using toys such as this, they always felt slightly hollow, especially when the other party fell to pieces in a matter of moments. This was her solution. While clearly not the same as a flesh-and-blood alternative, she was able to feel every motion, every touch.

She would be able to feel Death, and Death would _definitely_ be able to feel her.

Letting herself collapse down to the ground with a heavy thud, the Lich reclined and allowed her partner to fully grasp what was expected of her. “You… came prepared with that?”

“Unintentionally. I am waiting.”

Slowly, a naked and somewhat tired Death began to crawl towards her, a sight that greatly amused Axakk. In only a few short minutes, she had secured another personal victory, but she was far from done. She climbed over the metal legs and positioned herself in just the right spot, her lower lips hovering gently above the very end of the untouched phallus.

It was a start.

Placing one hand on her pale thigh, Axakk gently lowered Death, rubbing the tip against her. A small groan filled the air, followed by several more as the rubbing grew faster. Hardly enough to satisfy a being like Death.

So Axakk decided that enough was enough and brought the woman’s hips closer to her own.

A moan unlike any she had heard before left the small lady’s mouth as the phallus slowly slide inside her, the soft but firm material clearly doing wonders for her. A few moments later, it was fully inside, and Death was already beginning to struggle.

“Good.”

Beginning to slowly thrust at a careful pace, the Lich allowed her partner to breathe and recover some energy, but didn’t slow down her attack on the small, perfectly-formed body in her hands. While it was all artificial for her, she felt every motion and every vibration that ran through both of their bodies – a sensation she had long forgotten.

“Tell me if it is too much.”

Through clenched teeth, a simple two-word reply came: “Keep going.”

Laughing to herself – a rare occurrence even in her original life – Axakk continued to thrust and move Death’s body as if it was her own, using the sensations from her artificial organ to direct each motion in a way that she would personally enjoy. She had reversed her goals now: it wasn’t about pleasing Death, but about showing Death how to please a Kuva Lich, resurrection be damned.

The moaning and hissing that came from the other woman was having a surprising effect on her body, too. Axakk was feeling something build up inside her as well, something that didn’t come about all that often. She wanted more of it, and continued to hold Death’s hip with one hand while using the other to keep up her rapid motions.

The pleasure was obviously too much for her smaller counterpart, who was scrabbling at the Lich’s metal chest plating for something she could dig her fingers into. Finding nothing, she raised back up and continued to let out howls befitting a being such as herself, interspersed with small grunts from a sudden change in pace.

Axakk Otikk, for the first time in many months, felt her insides go fuzzy. It was better than the Old Blood, better than anything Grineer science could give her. For a moment, she forgot why she was in this situation, and who she was dealing with – it didn’t matter, not in this beautiful moment.

A loud yell of satisfaction from Death was enough to jog her back to some kind of normality, if only to watch the pale lady shudder in place and slump over onto her chest. A stream of warm liquid made its way down onto the Neurodes in her phallus components, triggering another wave of warmth that ran through natural and artificial body parts alike.

Panting heavily and having to fight against her own brain, Death simply looked up at her and breathlessly mumbled one of the most direct statements she had ever heard in her multiple lives.

“You’re… good.”

With that, she scrambled forward and planted a long kiss on Axakk’s face, ignoring the way her skin looked and the many augmentations she had. The warmth of the act, as well as the way that Death continued to gasp for breath while their lips were locked, forced her over the edge.

The Lich felt her remaining eye roll back in her head as a burst of hot, comforting joy overcame her other sensed, pushing through each inch of her being and forcing its way down between her legs. Her metal-plated inner thighs quickly found themselves wet and stained with the fruits of Death’s labours, forcing Axakk to take a moment and collect herself.

By the time she had finally managed to relax her breathing and pull away from the dark-haired woman that she had just made love to, the Grineer heavy was equal parts concerned and amused. She had done it. She had _actually done it_ – but it might not be enough to secure a place for herself back among the living.

For at least a minute or two, the pair simply lay there, either unwilling or unable to step away from the mess they had created. It was impossible to tell what Death was thinking, but given that she had nestled into the Lich’s bosom, it was hopefully something good.

“Did I satisfy?”

A loud snort came from the pale personification, who raised her head to get a proper look at Axakk’s face again. “You’re awful at sounding romantic.”

“I was not aware that you wanted romance.”

Once again, the conversation entered a pause that neither side felt ready to break.

“That’s not what I said, Otikk. Besides, I’m Death, I’m not dating material.”

Furrowing her brow in a mixture of confusion and interest, the Lich tilted her head to the left by a few degrees. “Am I dating material?”

Raising up on all fours, she saw Death smile – a genuine smile, not a smirk or the beginnings of a laugh. A simple, honest smile. “I think that’s a conversation for the second date, don’t you?”

“Then you are letting me live?”

Standing up to her full height and taking a few seconds to look up and down the lounging Axakk once more, Death placed her hands on her hips, stifling a small chuckle.

“Only if you promise to die again soon.”


	2. Clinging to Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axakk returns after being defeated once again, but her last meeting with Death means that the two of them have come with some ideas in mind...

Axakk Otikk had been beaten again. From within the clean and soulless hallways of a captured Corpus ship, she knelt before her returning killer, awaiting the Parazon blade that was supposed to finish her for good. In moments, she would be extinguished.

 _Temporarily_.

Death was no doubt waiting for her, as she always was. Their last meeting only a week ago had been… _eventful_ , but the Lich had no idea whether or not it had been a one-time deal for her. After all, Death herself was a force beyond anything in the Origin system: if Axakk had to give up her life, there was no way she could argue against it.

It would have been a lie to say that she wasn’t looking forward to this defeat, in a way, though. She couldn’t tell exactly what, but something about the thought of being back in that situation made her augmented, heavily altered heart beat just that tiny bit faster. The Kuva that swelled in her eye-mounted bulb was as warm and comforting as ever, but she knew that it wouldn’t be there for long.

She was right.

The feeling of the Parazon’s sharp edge shattering the glass and carrying on into her skull was all too familiar, but it still forced a pained yelp out of her body as the Old Blood began to quickly drain away. With a flick of the wrist, the Frost Prime that had bothered her for so long brought it back into his hand, immediately turning to run off and finish the rest of his mission here.

“Thank you.”

Axakk initially assumed that Death had spoken up early, thanking her for returning. It took her a second or two to realise that the words had come from her own mouth, spoken with the last of her strength. Interesting. She would have to-

Unable to finish the thought, the Lich let out her final breath as her lungs sucked in nothing but empty air, unable to support the rest of her large, bleeding body. Dozens of bullet wounds, Void-caused frostbite and a major head wound had taken their toll, and she died before she was even aware of the numbness rising inside her.

As with last time, her body quickly warmed, every injury inside her seeming to vanish in an instant. The world around her went pale, tinted with a white filter that resembled a light mist. Everything stopped.

Death was here.

Clumsily rising to her feet and feeling around at the Kuva bauble that stood in for her right eyeball, Axakk steadied herself against a wall, her large metal hands clicking gently against the mass-produced panels. Even now, the design of Corpus vessels such as this disgusted her, if only because they lacked the raw fighting spirit of her own.

“They’re not _that_ bad, you know. I’ve been to places where they don’t have anything _like_ these ships. I’m in a few of them now, actually.”

Turning to face Death – who, as usual, had decided to appear from the empty air behind her – Axakk snorted, removing her hand from the wall. “They are lucky. Corpus scum.” Her disdain for the money-cult was genuine, due in no small part to the fact that they kept killing the men and women under her command.

“Maybe, maybe not. You had quite bad luck yourself, tonight.” Once again, Death had dressed herself in the one-piece black garment she always wore. It showed no signs of being torn in half, a memory that made the Lich’s pulse flutter for a moment. “It looked like you had him, you know. It’ll be interesting talking to that one when he finally slips up.”

“So.” Standing tall and hiding the mild fear in her mind, Axakk stepped over to the smaller woman, her heavily-augmented feet clanking on the ship’s floor. “My turn has come.”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. How would you like another shot?”

“But you-“

“You said it yourself last time, I already failed with you. As long as I make sure to tick you off the list _before_ everything else dies, it won’t make a difference.”

Axakk was stunned at how forward the woman was being. Their many – admittedly short – conversations had been about how Death _needed_ to do her job. Her first extra resurrection had been at a cost, and even if she had been happy to pay it, she had only been offered that chance after putting herself at Death’s mercy.

The idea of being offered an extra chance was... odd. It didn’t seem honest.

“There is a catch. Tell me.” Not wanting to antagonise the lady that literally held a life and death decision in her hands, the Lich backed off subtly, trying to relax despite the rising concern inside her.

Smirking to herself, Death followed her, stepping forward to match Axakk’s gentle retreat. “Your turn has come. If you’ll permit me, I’d like to return the favour from last time.”

“It was not a favour. We… copulated… in return for my revival.”

Without missing a beat, Death reached out and placed one hand on the Lich’s waist, the height difference making it the best substitute for her unreachable head. “Well, consider this a reward for coming back so soon. Do you want something like that?”

For the first time in many months, Axakk Otikk felt herself audibly swallow out of sheer nerves. She had been propositioned before. She had _accepted_ before. But now the physical, or almost-physical, manifestation of Death itself was asking for permission to go down on her.

“…I do.”

“Alright. If you change your mind, no matter what the reason is, I _will_ stop as soon as you give the word.” The smile that flashed across her face made the giant Grineer’s skin feel hot all of a sudden.

“Understood.”

“Come on, then, let’s get you into position here.”

Due to Axakk’s extremely large body and incredible weight, there wasn’t a whole lot Death could do to actually move her. Instead, the Lich decided that the simplest way was the most direct, and allowed herself to drop backwards into a sitting position, then a long lean. The empty space of the Corpus ship had _one_ benefit in terms of size, if nothing else. Death slowly followed her, gently lowering herself onto the metal legs in front of her and calmly shuffling higher up.

Knowing exactly what was about to come next, the large Grineer reached down to the armour on her pelvic area, undoing some of the connections to free particular plates and protective sections from the rest of the gear on her body. A lot of it was connected to her skin – or what was left of it – but the Queens’ scientists had thankfully left key areas untouched.

Pulling the plates away and setting them to one side, she used her hands to gently support herself in a casual resting position, feeling a knot in begin to grow in her artificial stomach. Her face must have betrayed how she felt, because the pale face of her immortal partner raised up from beneath her bulky chest armour.

“Is… something wrong?”

“No. I am fine. Continue with… with all of this.”

A small chuckle came from the other woman as she raised herself back up to a kneel, looking Axakk dead-on in the eyes and curling her lips into an expression full of mirth. “You… haven’t done this before, have you? Nobody has actually pleasured you like this.”

“They… have not. You are correct.” In the back of the Grineer’s head, she was running through every other encounter she had ever had, both pre-and-post-rebirth. Exactly _one_ of them had played out in this way, with most of her pleasuring being done to her artificial phallus. That one occasion had been so long ago that she may have been misremembering entirely - it was difficult to say, given that she didn’t know exactly what Death intended to do.

Dropping back down out of sight, the pale-skinned lady chuckled to herself again. Axakk could feel the softness of her puffed-out hairdo near her thighs. “I’ll have to make this one special, then.”

A sudden dryness came over the Lich’s throat as she tried to croak something out, not even knowing what her brain wanted her to say. She genuinely didn’t know what to expect, but Death had been true to her word so far. A small nod was all she could manage, even though it was too late for her partner to see the motion.

“For somebody who’s more metal than skin, you’re soaked. I haven’t even started yet.”

Unsure how to respond, the Grineer simply grumbled some vague reply and tried to stop worrying, doing her best to let Death take control of the situation. She wasn’t used to giving up her total understanding of what was going on: to do so in the company of other Grineer was an easy way to end up dead and forgotten.

Although she instinctively tried to bring her knees together, Death’s soft palms pushed them out of the way, giving her full access to the lower half of Axakk’s body. “Just say the word, and I’ll start. We can take this slowly.”

“Go.”

Gently, the personification of death slid her head forward, her nose almost touching the bare flesh of the Lich. Although she couldn’t see what was going on down there, Axakk’s neck twitched in response to the soft sensation of a tongue licking at her slit, something she hadn’t felt before. A quiet sigh escaped her beaten lungs while her brain tried to correct itself and failed miserably.

“You a-are-“

The statement was cut off with another surprised sigh, one that trailed off into the most basic form of a moan. Even for a creature of her size and nature, Axakk was no more capable of containing raw feelings than the average Grineer, something that was working against her in this situation.

Diving in slightly closer, Death applied a little more pressure in all the right areas, coaxing another series of unintentional responses out of the big Lich. It was a new experience indeed, something that she didn’t really have a comparison for. It was _real_ , what was all her brain could define it as.

Death’s motions became more targeted, like a Ballista with her sights locked onto a foe. They stopped being general pleasure and quickly became something more motivated: an attempt to find a weak point and exploit it. In her own way, Death had turned this session of pleasure into an experiment.

Every time that Axakk made some kind of noise, be it a grunt of pleasure or a whimpered attempt to speak, the pale lady would focus on that area specifically. She was narrowing down the space she had been given, taking a tactical approach to the way that she varied her movements and adjusted the pressure being placed on the Lich’s sensitive nerves.

Whatever she had done, it was working. The Grineer began to whine and moan more frequently, feeling a sudden burst of tension through her whole body as a familiar feeling started to build up across her. “D-Death-“

The tongue pulled itself away, and its owner spoke.

“Go ahead, you’ve earned it.”

Axakk Otikk, Kuva Lich in service to the Twin Queens, was no stranger to orgasms. She had been subjected to many over her various lives. Even still, in these circumstances, with _this person_ , they had become something else entirely. The mental shockwave that spread through her body as a distinct, penetrating numbness forced her limbs to move, causing her spine to curve unexpectedly and throwing her off balance.

By the time her large head fell to rest against the metal flooring of the Corpus Ship, Death had already moved away, giving the Lich the space she needed to work through the pleasure. Vibrations continued to run through her until there was nothing left to make her walls contract, leaving her tired, stained and unable to think clearly.

“Death…”

“You did well, Otikk. You did really well. You deserved it. Dying so many times can’t be easy for you.” She clambered over the large metal torso of the Grineer soldier, planting a small kiss on the surface of the armour. “I’ll let you rest now.”

“No…” Despite the flimsiness of her muscles and the fuzziness in her mind, Axakk pushed herself back up into a sitting position, trying to force herself back into a more stable state. “Don’t go…”

“Are you alright?”

“I am… not done with you.”

Death’s face swapped from a pleased smile to a brief show of curiosity, her eyebrow raising for a brief moment. Then, just as quickly, it became her usual amused self. “Alright. That way, we can call it even. What do you have in mind?”

Gingerly reaching down to her pelvic armour, for fear of touching a sensitive spot and setting everything in motion again, the Lich slowly removed the plates that held her artificial phallus inside its dedicated space. She was a little bit worried about Death getting sick of this, but the unusual lady’s reaction was one of joy, rather than boredom.

“I would like another attempt.” The Lich was finally getting her breath back.

“Attempt? You weren’t happy the first time?”

The plate came off in her large hands, allowing the phallus to shift into position as the Neurodes inside connected themselves to her existing nervous system inputs. “Then, I took you as a woman. Today, I will take you as a warrior of the Grineer. Without mercy.”

“I’m interested. Just tell me what to do.”

Lifting herself back onto her two large metal feet, Axakk took a moment to roll her shoulders and ensure everything was in its proper place. A small nod from Death was all the confirmation she needed – gripping the black-clad lady’s neck with one cold metal hand, she tightened her fingers, as if threatening to squeeze the life out of the small creature in front of her. “You will do nothing.”

For a second, it looked like Death was legitimately scared, but her typical smile soon returned. It was enough to give Axakk pause. She didn’t _want_ to hurt Death. _Could_ she hurt death at all? Even if she couldn’t, the idea of causing distress to her was strangely concerning, even in a context that they would both enjoy. That reassuring grin was enough to give her the confidence she needed, but something was brewing in her mind that felt markedly un-Grineer.

Lifting the tiny woman off the ground with one hand and no effort, the giant Grineer took her over to the nearest wall and semi-gently slammed her into it, pinning her in place. Death seemed completely untouched, but the surprise was still evidently there. It didn’t take long to remove the garment on her body, given that it came to pieces with only a small amount of pressure. Shredded cloth fell to the floor, completely beyond repair.

Still holding onto her throat, but releasing the pressure slightly to ensure that Death could breathe, Axakk moved her hips until the artificial phallus was exactly where she wanted it. “Prepare yourself. I will not restrain myself.”

“G-good…”

Death had stuttered. Whatever that meant, it _excited her_. Such a powerful being showing even a twinge of fear and uncertainty was a victory in and of itself.

Grabbing onto Death’s pale thigh with her other hand, she moved her lower half into the right spot and gently rubbed the tip of the phallus against her lower half’s lips, drawing out a short grumble. She wasn’t moving the phallus at all: she was moving the entity of Death’s body, just to add insult to injury. “I did not expect the personification of Death to submit so easily.”

“Well, maybe I’m trying to-“

Before Death was able to reply, Axakk pressed down on her throat again and sped up the rubs, turning the following moan into a strained croak. She was, of course, being careful to stick to techniques she knew were safe. Regardless of whether or not Death _could_ be hurt, it was a risk worth avoiding.

Just as her pale partner seemed to be settling into a rhythm, the Lich shuffled her hips forward, placing half of the phallus inside the lady’s white body. As expected, a short sequence of groans and moans followed as Death adjusted to what was happening, still forced to take shallow breaths due to the hand that held her in place.

“Grineer conquer all. **I conquer all**. Even Death is not beyond my grasp.”

Gently thrusting to ensure that the full phallus didn’t enter yet, the Lich continued her irregular motions, making it difficult for Death to fall into any kind of pattern. She was applying the full extent of her military training here: catch the enemy off guard, lure them into a trap, and then _strike_.

The trap was soon coming.

After a few more seconds of thrusting, she pushed the rest of the phallus inside Death, allowing her a moment to groan in response. Even with a hand firmly planted over her neck, she was still producing sounds that were like music to Axakk’s enhanced ears.

No longer needing to fully hold Death’s lower body, the Lich moved her hand to the woman’s torso, getting a better hold on her. She wanted to make it _clear_ that she was the one in control here, no matter how much power her partner held over the dead. Death would never be able to exert that power over here, no matter the circumstances.

**_Kuva. Liches. Don’t. Die._ **

Her thrusts sped up as Death began to croak out more frequently, the lack of air and the constant pleasure obviously doing exactly what the Lich intended. However, that wasn’t all, not yet. For now, she was content to watch that petite, pale body struggle against the might of true Grineer cloning and engineering. If Death ever showed signs of pain or actual worry, she would stop in a heartbeat, but that wasn’t the point.

The point was that Death, whether intentionally or unintentionally, had left herself vulnerable to something she had been planning ever since their first night of passion.

The thrusts, while forceful and fast, slowed slightly, making the pale lady’s moans much less prominent in turn. Her eyes were full of an emotion that Axakk didn’t fully recognise, but part of the mixture was definitely pleasure: Death liked this, perhaps more than she was letting on.

“You are submitting. You enjoy this. You enjoy having a lack of power against me.”

Once again, no reply came, but there didn’t need to be one. You could just _tell_. Death’s attempts at crying out in pleasure were still being silenced by the Lich’s hand, although she would occasionally release it somewhat to let the immortal being catch her breath and yell what needed to be yelled.

The trap was sprung.

Removing her hand entirely and grabbing Death by the waist, Axakk lifted her off the phallus and drew her closer, a look of confusion mounting in the other woman’s eyes. Before she could say or do anything, the Lich planted a long, loving kiss on her lips, something that she had only reserved for one or two individuals in her entire series of lives.

Death appeared to immediately shut down as she moaned into the Grineer’s lips, her lower half completely coming apart in a carnal display of orgasmic pleasure. A small puddle began to form underneath her as her limbs twitched uselessly in the air, since her body was still being gently gripped in the Lich’s two large metal palms.

Axakk pulled her mouth away, allowing Death to finally catch up to her body’s needs. What followed was a long, whirring moan that seemed to come directly from the lady’s lungs, which had been unable to take in all the oxygen they needed.

For a moment, it looked like the poor woman was going to pass out then and there.

Nervously, the Lich slowly placed her on the ground, hoping that she would be able to rest properly. It was too risky to stand her upright, not in this state. However, when she tried to let go, she noticed that Death had begun to grip onto the plating by her forearms: an attempt to remain held.

So, with no reason to refuse, she instead brought the panting woman closer, trying to provide the best possible hug without squishing her too much. Mumbling something under her breath, the immortal being cuddled into Axakk’s chest, despite how cold it must have been for her.

“Death? Are you alright?”

“Mmhmm…”

The Grineer had no idea what to do now. Did she let Death stay there? Set her down? She couldn’t leave until she was granted another chance, so she would be stuck here until Death made a choice, which likely wasn’t happening soon.

It was probably best to make the most of it. Deciding that she would probably be fine with another round, Axakk leaned back and gently tumbled into onto her back, bringing Death with her. It took only a short motion of her arms to place the woman’s still-wet lower lips to her face, which she approached with a few cautious licks.

A pleased moan confirmed that this was probably fine. After a short debate in the back of her mind, she started her slow attack on the lady’s slit, taking her time to enjoy the taste. It was still something that she couldn’t quite explain, but it was familiar, whatever it was. Death, who had barely recovered from what just happened to her merely a minute ago, was sent all the way back to the start as her moans began to build up again.

Axakk was still being careful, but when Death’s hands reached down to help space out her own legs more, it was clear that they had both agreed on the same idea. With no more restrictions in her way, she let loose all of her Grineer fury, stress and training into the tongue motions, making no attempt to follow a specific pattern or speed.

Each lick was followed by one in another area, at another speed, at another _angle_. Every single motion she applied to Death’s exhausted body was different, unique, specially made to throw her off and keep her groaning.

However, the woman had been through enough already. Within only a minute of the Lich’s hard work, she came again, collapsing over to the side as the two orgasms merged into a single long period of pleasure that her body was finally trying to recover from.

It almost looked like she was asleep. Maybe she was, or at least doing the equivalent, since Death probably didn’t sleep. It might have even been a performance for Axakk’s sake, but either way, she was going to take it as she saw it.

Leaning further back to lie flat on her spine, she gently lifted death off the floor and back onto her chest, letting her sprawl out over the armour and cybernetic shell pieces that made up the majority of her body. “Please. Rest. I am sorry if that was too much.”

“Mh?”

“Did I hurt you, Death?”

“Nhhh.”

Although she was once again concerned, Axakk decided that it was best to just let the pair of them relax. They would be able to talk again once they had both calmed down.

An errant thought, from deep inside her brain, made its way out of her throat before she could stop herself.

“I love you, Death.”

“Hh?”

“I said that I love you.”

“Mmhmmmm.”

Whatever that meant, it was probably good. Unsure if she was able to sleep while technically dead, she decided that waiting for her… _associate_ to collect herself was the best way to handle this. On the bright side, there was _no way_ that Death wouldn’t grant her another chance.

If she could just pull this off every single time, she’d be set for at least ten more deaths. Maybe fifteen, if she could vary her technique.

Hopefully that Frost Prime wasn’t sick of hunting her down. She was just getting started.


	3. An Honest Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death visits of her own accord to ask Axakk about something she said during their last meeting. However, neither of them are entirely sure where the discussion will lead...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more focused on emotions and dicussions than the smut itself. Just a heads-up!

Despite making it through another day of slaughter, conquest and constant ego-stroking, Axakk Otikk didn’t feel quite right. What had otherwise been a fairly standard twenty hours of battle and background management was oddly hollow, even though she had lain waste to countless Corpus cells and outposts over the previous month.

It wasn’t something she had experienced before, and that made her slightly scared.

Shaking off her thoughts, she continued to try and relax in her quarters on board her personal Galleon, which still bore the scars of half a dozen boarding attempts. Her room was untouched, thankfully, but that didn’t make her any less nervous. She just wanted to know _why_ she was nervous, especially _here_ of all places.

Fiddling with the Karak rifle that she had hastily picked out after losing her weapon to that Tenno scum wasn’t occupying her head. No matter how many times she made adjustments to the sight or replaced the magazine inside, her mind drifted back into some vague fear that was gnawing at her insides.

“Otikk. We have to talk.”

Jumping in surprise at the voice coming from right behind her head, she Lich span her upper body around and aimed the rifle right at the source, bringing it to bear on Death’s face. After taking a second to process who she was aiming at, she sighed, lowering the weapon into a resting position.

“You are… not supposed to be here.” The Grineer was very much alive. As alive as a constantly-resurrected and heavily-augmented creature _could_ be, anyway. “I thought-“

“You don’t _have_ to die for us to meet, it’s just more convenient that way. Anyway, we really need to talk about what happened yesterday.”

This probably wasn’t good. While it was difficult to read what Death as thinking, since she existed beyond the context of Axakk’s own reality, there was a high chance that the Lich was in serious trouble. “You were the initiator. I am only partially responsible for-“

“No, it’s nothing like that, don’t worry. I needed to ask about a specific thing that happened, if you’re not too busy.” Taking a few glances around the dimly-lit private room, the pale woman moved her hands onto her hips. “Nice bedroom, by the way. Very oppressive.”

It wasn’t clear whether or not she was joking, so Axakk simply nodded. “What did you come here to discuss?”

“You said you loved me.”

Otikk had faced hordes of Infested. She had braved the self-destruction of dozens of Corpus ships. She had clung onto her life with both hands and refused to die many, many times.

Right now, with Death politely smiling at her, she was _utterly terrified_.

“You may have misheard me.”

“Then what _did_ you say?”

Death wasn’t rushing her – the expression on her sharp but comforting features made it clear that Axakk had as much time as he needed to respond. Still, in the heat of the moment, her tired Kuva Lich brain blurted out whatever it first settled on. “I said that I loved…”

“Loved what?”

“…you.”

There was no big gasp of surprise, no shocked response. Death simply nodded, her grin just as friendly as ever. “I know you did. And it’s okay.”

“You… think so?”

“Of course. A lot of people have a personal relationship with death.” Moving around to the other side of the Lich’s desk, she shuffled up onto the top surface and leaned against it, only an inch or two from truly sitting on top of it. “For some people, it’s a relationship built on hate for fear. Other people are begging for it every day of their life. Sometimes they even worship it, or live their lives trying to help others deal with _their_ feelings on death.”

Supporting her spine on the backrest of her oversized metal chair, Axakk let herself relax slightly. “What about mine?”

“That depends on you. You always _will_ have a relationship with death, since you have to die eventually. Everything does. It’s a matter of when, not if. In the same way, that means that I will always have a relationship with _you_.”

Death seemed… regretful. Not sad, at least not from what the Lich could tell, but there was something in her voice that hadn’t ever been there before. “You came to ask about my feelings towards you.”

“More or less.” Flashing a cheeky smile at the Grineer, the pale lady took another look around the room. “Unlike most others, our relationship has a high chance of being… _ongoing_. Let’s put it that way. If we’re going to be interacting with each other, I’d like to know where we stand. That kind of thing.”

A nervous cough worked its way up the Lich’s throat, forcing her hand in front of her face. She used the time to choose her words carefully, terrified that she would accidentally offend Death by saying something she didn’t entirely mean. “I think… that you are attractive. Emotionally attractive and… visually… appealing.”

“So you’re interested in me?”

“…yes and no. If you were a Grineer, yes. You are… something else. It scares me. _You_ scare me.”

“You _did_ admit that you were afraid of death, so that makes sense. That’s a perfectly normal reaction to have. Death is definitely scary if you don’t understand it the way I do.” Pushing away from the desk, she scratched some of her long black hair and adjusted the belt on her midriff. “If you want, I could show you.”

“Show me what?” Axakk almost thought she was referring to a part of her body, but quickly quashed that idea before began to affect her nerves.

“Show you how I understand death. You know, together.”

Curious, the Lich stood up as well, unsure exactly what she would be getting herself into. If it meant spending more time with Death, then it was worth a try. “Are you asking me for a… date?”

“If that’s what you want to call it. You don’t need to say yes just because-“

“Yes.”

“Alright, then, if you’re sure. Come on, we just need to go across the hall.” Death was already making her way the office door, looking as pleased and friendly as ever. “I already know how to get around your ship.”

Axakk barely even gave herself a chance to think about what she was doing, immediately turning to follow Death out of the room. She was normally much more careful than this, but there was something oddly comforting about being so close to the personification of death itself. Ironically, it made her feel invincible.

The walk didn’t take long – a few times, some of the Grineer troopers on guard tried to stop or question the strange pale woman walking among them, only for the Lich to wave them away. Within only two minutes, they had arrived at the nearest large window, one that was placed close to some fighter bays. Not the fanciest of designs, but it kept the air in and the space out, so it was perfectly serviceable.

Death, still bearing her usual friendly face, hopped up onto a bar that ran below the glass and pointed out into the dark void of stars. “What do you think is alllll the way over there?”

“Where?”

“Exactly where I’m pointing. That exact spot.”

Peering into the darkness, Axakk couldn’t see anything. “Space?”

“Well, yes, but not just that. There’s a dead person out there that I’m talking to at this very second. Do you know what they’re saying to me?”

“No.”

“They’re saying that they wanted another chance. That it’s not fair, and that their life wasn’t worth living. That person is _terrified_ of me, Axakk. Their relationship with me, no matter how tiny, is one based on fear. This is the only time that they’ll probably see me, so it starts and ends that way, with no change. You’re not like that.”

“Because I come back.” Afraid to lean against any of the walls in case her weight damaged the equipment or a vital fuel pipe, the Grineer remained stood upright and crossed her arms. “You get to see me again.”

“Every time you die, I’m dealing with hundreds of other people, maybe even thousands. Some of them are from this place, the Origin System. Others are from a completely different point in space, and a few don’t even exist within your own idea of where reality ends. None of them ever come back, none of them can. Their relationships with me end soon afterwards.”

The strange twinge of sadness had crept back into Death’s voice, and the Lich was starting to understand what she meant. She could do her job just fine, and Axakk’s repeat deaths didn’t interfere with that. It wasn’t about the responsibility, or the fact that she had to handle so much at once. It was something much simpler.

“You feel lonely.”

Death didn’t reply. She was staring out of the glass, one hand pressed against the cold surface as if she was hoping to touch space itself.

“You feel lonely because none of _them_ ever come back. You don’t get to see any of them again.”

“Axakk.” Death still didn’t move, remaining near the window. “You kill people for a living. You watch men and women on both sides die to fuel your own existence. Eventually, everybody you meet will die, and you’ll never see them again.”

“You are correct. But it is not the same. Many of them are people I _wish_ to kill.”

“There’s one that _does_ come back, though. Your ‘adversary’.”

The Tenno.

No matter what the Lich did – breaking his spine, blowing him up, throwing him into a deep pit – the Tenno always came back. Their relationship had become something personal, far more personal than any of her other foes who were usually crushed under the mighty Grineer Empire war machine.

“Yes. He continues to plague me.”

“Without him, you wouldn’t have died over and over again without being fully killed. We would have met once, and your fear of death would have ruined any chance we had of a meaningful conversation. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

While she didn’t fully grasp everything Death had said, the Grineer tried to parse all of the details at once. “That… the relationship between me and my adversary is unique?”

“I’m saying that we both understand how important even a single long-term connection can be. In your case, your relationship with that Tenno gives you a rival. In our case, it gives me a friend, one that might be able to understand what my existence can be like.”

“I promise I will try my best, Death. You would make a very… good friend.” Axakk stepped up to the window as well, giving the pale lady a small nod that she probably didn’t see.

“That brings me to my other question. About us. You said you loved me, and I need to know what that _means_.”

“Let me ask you something first. Do you have _real_ relationships with those who die?”

“A few. I’ve met the dead all across reality, from the dawn of life to the present day, and sometimes I meet people who died believing in a creature like me. A lot of them get me wrong, but some of them… they guess correctly. Those ones can be nice to talk to… while they last.”

Flushing slightly – as much as her cloned skin would allow – Axakk overcame the fear in her chest. “Have you fucked any of them?”

Death paused, letting out a giggle unlike anything that the Lich had heard before. It wasn’t her usual chuckles, nor her amused laughter. It was a _legitimate giggle_ , one that had come from being caught off guard. “Some of them! Time isn’t really an issue in my line of work, so I’ve been guilty of spending a few extra minutes with some of the nice women out there.”

“But not the men?”

“Excuse me?”

“You said ‘nice women’. Women, specifically?”

“Does it matter?”

“No.” Nervously shifting in place, the Axakk turned her head away from the pale lady in an attempt to hide her face. “No, it does not. I was merely asking for future reference.”

“What do you mean, ‘future reference’?”

Ignoring all sense and going against all of her training, the Lich decided that she had to make a move. She had been struggling with an idea in her head for hours, and it had finally decided to show itself in a manner that she could understand. “I like being around you. Death, I… want to see you more often. I cannot explain why. You are… like me. A strange creature with a normal heart that wants somebody who can understand.”

Death turned away from the endless reach of space, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Wait, you aren’t suggesting-“

“I think I love you, Death. Maybe I am wrong. It is… hard to tell what I feel. I am certain that I love being _with you_. I want to give you a relationship that lasts.”

“As a friend, or as a partner?”

“As Death. Whatever that makes you.”

“You know that any relationship we _do_ have won’t be exclusive, don’t you? I meet thousands of beings every day, and many of them are close to me for the brief moments I know them.” Looking a little bit flustered, she reached up to gently scratch the back of her neck. “It wouldn’t be a, you know, girlfriend-and-girlfriend situation, or anything like that…”

“I understand, and that does not change my opinion. Death. Please. I want to be here for you, whatever that makes me in your eyes.” Reaching around the smaller woman’s waist, Axakk gently stroked at Death’s hip with her fingers. “We are both lonely, and even friendship would make a difference. To both of us.”

Slowly bringing back her familiar little smile, the personification of death hopped down from the window’s lower bar and stood in front of the Lich, her eyes full of hope. Stepping back to give her space, the Grineer took another glance out of the window, watching the stars twinkle in the distance. A small amount of pressure around her abdomen made her look back at Death, who was now giving her a big, loving hug.

“Axakk Otikk, you are the _first_ woman who had ever said something like this to me.”

Returning the gesture, she wrapped one of her arms around Death’s back. “You do not have to use my full names. Axa is shorter.”

“Alright, then, Axa.” She took a long, deep breath, then sighed into the Lich’s chest. “Alright then.”

Death’s voice was still solemn, and rightfully so, but it felt wrong to end the discussion on a sour note. Removing her hand from the woman’s back and instead using it to gently stroke at the black clothing covering her stomach, Axakk leaned down and gave her pale forehead a short kiss.

“W-what are you doing?”

“You came here to ask about our relationship. You did not come here for an emotional discussion. I should make this up to you.” Moving her hand slightly lower, the Lich rubbed her big fingers against the lady’s abdomen, then the top of her waist. “If you would like me to.”

Although initially confused, Death’s face slowly shifted from a tired version of her cute smile to a full-on smirk as she caught on to the idea. “I… would like that, Axa. Whenever you’re ready.”

She didn’t hesitate. Since Death never seemed particularly bothered by having her clothes ripped, the giant Grineer simply grabbed onto some loose fabric and ripped a large hole in the pelvic section, tearing off the belt with similar ease. There was no need to remove _all_ of her clothing, and something about the obvious damage to her garments was… _unusually appealing_.

As expected, Death was already very slightly damp down there, not that it would be a problem. Axakk wondered if she had been this way since arriving, but it wasn’t the right time to ask. Instead, she simply placed one thick finger on the pale slit and gently stroked at it, opting for the direct approach.

While her partner didn’t initially seem all that phased, a light flush soon covered over her face as her body began to react to the stimulation, gentle grumbles sneaking out of her throat. Her hands came to rest on the Lich’s body, not yet gripping on but definitely prepared to.

“I will go at your pace. This is for you, Death.”

“T-thank you…”

Carefully, and with no need to rush, she sped up her finger motions ever so slightly, holding back from anything more extreme until Death was fully settled. Before today, she had assumed that the woman was all-powerful. Their discussion had proven that even a being like her needed care and attention, and it was Axakk’s duty to provide it.

“How does it feel?”

A short groan was the only response that mattered, and she moved the finger back and forth with slightly sharper movements, pausing in between so that Death felt each one as a separate touch. Once the quiet groans began to die down, she moved a second finger down to the woman’s folds, but didn’t launch an all-out attack on her body. Instead, the Lich remained slow and paced.

Putting on the softest voice her reconstructed throat could create, she began to tease the smaller lady. “Good. Very good. Don’t worry about anything, we have plenty of time.”

It was difficult to restrain herself, mainly because she never really got the chance to do this. Now that Death was the subject involved, she had an overwhelming desire to be careful, for both their sakes.

A small whine left the equally small immortal being as Axakk gently placed one finger on the very edge of the doorway, enough to make it obvious that the Grineer was ready to continue. With a short nod, the dark-haired woman closed her eyes and began to breathe less consistently, if only by a small amount.

The artificial fingers were much larger than average, and the moan that Death let out as one slipped inside her was much louder than Axakk had been expecting. With plenty of care, the Lich began her tender movements, experimentally prodding and poking whenever it was safe to do so. Every time a new sound left her partner’s mouth, she would focus there for a moment, drawing out a little more noise.

She wasn’t doing much, not really, but the point wasn’t to bring the poor woman to a climax as fast as possible. This was her way of showing _appreciation_ , giving Death something she could enjoy at her own speed. The last two times had been displays of brutal and carnal lust, but this was… well, it was love, in one form or another. Being here, in this moment, and making another person feel this way was warming the Grineer’s heart more than she had expected.

“You can…” Death had to pause and let out a short gasp. “…do more.”

As requested, Axakk began to move her finger with more intent and purpose, only increasing the speed until she was getting some higher and more vivid moans and groans. This wouldn’t be the most extreme orgasm that Death had ever had, but it would be the one she _needed_ right now.

Something about the way that the other lady looked in this situation was making the Lich’s heart beat faster than she had expected. She had been uncertain of her attraction to the being, but something about how she looked in this lighting made her utterly _beautiful_ in every sense of the word. Her pale skin, her dark hair, the way that her body always looked like it was moving as nature intended… she could enjoy these sighs forever.

“Do you want me to use a second finger? Will that be too much?”

“T-Try it…”

Gingerly slipping another of her metal digits inside, she continued her slow exploration of what Death had to offer, prying out even more moans and groans through the careful application of pressure in all the right places. Two fingers would undoubtedly be the limit – a third was probably far too much, even for the living representation of death itself.

“You’re beautiful. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

Even if the physical motions were lacking, her statements would not. Axakk had every intention of telling Death _exactly_ how she felt.”

“I love you, Death. Whatever love means between us, I feel it.”

“A-Axa…”

“Shh. Don’t worry about a response. I want you to relax.” Her finger movements slowed in time with her words. “You have so much responsibility. I want to take it away from you. I want to give you a few minutes of rest.”

She didn’t mean physical rest, considering what she was going to the woman’s lower half, but _emotional_ rest. On top of having to talk with so many of the dead and dying, the pale woman was now on the tail end of a serious conversation that could have easily led to a breakdown if handled poorly. This was _her time_.

Slowly, the Lich’s pace increased, as did the amount of pressure she was trying to use. While Death deserved time to relax, she also didn’t want to accidentally deny the poor woman the chance to feel good for too long. There was also the much less important detail of Death’s orgasm face: it was adorable, and Axakk wanted to see it again.

More noises began to rise out of the woman’s lungs, with many of them punctuated by small arm movements as she tried to get a solid grip on part of the Grineer’s mostly-metal body. A good sign.

“Tell me when, my pretty Death.”

A small, curious-sounding grumble followed.

“Tell me, and I will finish this. Take your time.”

After several seconds of quiet groaning and harsh breathing, Death managed to work up the air needed to reply. “Go.”

With no reason to hold herself back, Axakk pushed for a release, wanting to give Death the best possible feeling in the shortest amount of time. Her fingers worked twice as fast as they had been, each one acting independently to press down wherever it was needed.

She didn’t know exactly _when_ the woman would reach her limit, but she still didn’t try to force things, letting them both enjoy the experience as it was supposed to play out. Deciding to take a more vocal approach, she leaned forward and lowered her head down next to one of Death’s pale ears, lowering her voice to a hushed yet subtly aggressive tone.

“I want you to tell the truth. Do you love me, Death?”

A few grumbles worked their way out between her lips, which turned into soft moans, then gasps. Two small hands gripped onto the Lich’s shoulders, refusing to let go as she sped up even further.

“Do you? Be honest with both of us. Tell me.”

“I…”

Before she could mutter out the rest of the sentence, Axakk kissed her, deliberately trying to time it so that she would orgasm at almost the same moment. Although she was off by a second or two, the way that Death’s eyes shot open and went wide at the pulses of pleasure running down her lower half was a sign that things had still worked out as planned.

Death couldn’t yell, groan, or even speak with her lips connected to Axakk’s, but her face suddenly swapped from one of surprise to an expression of unfeigned joy. Removing her hand, the Lich allowed the kiss between them to finish, stepping to the side so that her partner had some space. Before she could move too far, she felt a hand on her shoulder, followed by a larger weight bumping into her side.

Unsurprisingly, it was Death, legs shaking, eyelids slightly squinted. She mumbled something vague and brought herself into a hug around Axakk’s waist again, which was quickly returned. The air between the two grew hot with their breaths and body heat, but neither spoke, content to just stand there and embrace one another.

A full minute – or maybe more – must have passed before a single word interrupted the relative silence of the Galleon’s corridor.

“…Axa…?”

“…yes, Death?”

“I do. I really do.”


	4. If You Build It...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axakk has a gift for Death, one that makes use of a lot of Grineer resources. Death, in turn, is willing to give Axakk something far more simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter isn't too much of a mess - I've been writing it over multiple days with gaps in-between them due to life stuff.

The halls of Axakk’s galleon were quiet today. It wasn’t an unusual sight, of course: the orders had come from her mouth to deploy almost everything they had onto the cluster of Asteroids below, with only a small reserve force and a handful of spare wargear getting left behind. While Grineer often constructed quickly, the Lich was determined to finish her project as soon as possible, even if she had to start breaking rocks with her own metal hands.

Naturally, this meant that the bridge crew had dropped from a large collective of loyal soldiers and technicians to only a small handful of men and women – mostly women – who were either above or below such industrial work. Axakk herself was one of them, monitoring every element of the hard labour from her command chair. Her orders had been _very_ specific, and any deviation from the plan was unacceptable.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t control Death.

The strange pale lady had begun to appear more frequently now, whether or not there was actually a member of the dead to ‘collect’. Nothing seemed to phase her: she would just arrive whenever she pleased from thin air, a habit that had spooked quite a few of the other Grineer on board.

That was the other reason that the Lich was so hesitant to go down and take part in the construction herself. Wherever she went, Death would probably follow at some point. For all anybody else knew, Death was already fully aware of what they were doing, but that was no reason to stop.

“Is everything still going to plan?”

The question was directed at one of her aides, who almost jumped out of her decaying skin at the Lich’s gruff tone. “Yes! Yes. Uhhh… one hour. One.”

“Make them work faster.” Stepping up from her large chair, which had been reinforced twice to hold her weighty metal body, the Lich took another peek at the large holographic projection between her and the other side of the circular command area. “She will return eventually, and I do not want to disappoint her.”

The ratty little Grineer wiped her hairless brow, frantically issuing commands through the bulky computer terminal she was stationed at. “Are you sure she will-“

“I do not know. She is a mystery.”

“May I speak honestly, commander?”

With a straightforward nod, the Lich gave her subordinate permission to bring up her thoughts. Her eyes – or rather, the one eye that _hadn’t_ been turned into a glass bulb of Kuva – remained locked on the slowly-moving display.

“I’m not sure if she will appreciate something like this. She doesn’t seem like the type of-“

“The wants and needs of Death are none of your concern, Kuul. Do not speak for her. We will continue until it is completed.”

“But I think that-“

Axakk was able to shut the smaller woman up simply by turning around, her size and highly-tuned cybernetics making her one of the most imposing sights in the entire Grineer military. “If you are so desperate to tell Death what she must want, I can send you to her with my fists. Return to your work.”

Another check of the holographic model confirmed that they were very close towards their intended finishing point: most of the internal structure had been hollowed out, and a small-scale atmosphere was in place to make it liveable. The most telling detail was the large recreation of that silver necklace that Death herself had worn during her visits: its image ran through every hallway, with the main room in the centre of the large asteroid being built in its image.

Axakk didn’t know the name of the symbol, but it made no difference. To her, it was undeniably one that marked the presence of Death.

“I hear somebody’s trying to tell me what I want?”

Right on cue, a familiar cheery voice bounced around the near-deserted Galleon bridge, drawing the attention of the few remaining officers and workers nearby. Hearing Death’s voice again brought a small smile to Axakk’s face, but she knew that her project wasn’t ready: she had arrived too soon.

Turning around to face her… _whatever_ Death was to her now, she found that the dark-haired woman hadn’t approached the command chair, but actually moved over to Kuul instead. The poor woman, already having suffered a threat from her superior officer, was practically sweating her body weight in saltwater as the immortal being stepped up to her workstation.

Stammering out a few uncertain words, the officer instead focused her attention on her console again, trying to ignore the fact that Death was so close to her face.

“Death. It is good to see you again. My assistant will not insult you again.”

“Insult?” The idea seemed to genuinely surprise the pale lady, who took a few short steps towards the centre of the room. “I’m not insulted, not at all. I’m just interested to see what you’re working on.”

It wasn’t clear if Death was already aware and just giving Axakk a chance to set a surprise, but either way, the Lich didn’t really want to give it up just in case. “A standard asteroid-mining operation. For Ferrite. Safe but bland.”

“It can’t be exciting all day, every day.” Despite the Lich’s attempts to block her, Death casually strolled over to the big holographic table, her eyes narrowing slightly at the bright lights being projected into three-dimensional shapes. “What’s this?”

“Our plans.”

“That looks a bit like my Ankh. A lot like it, actually.” She absent-mindedly played with the silver symbol dangling from her neck, shifting it between her fingers.

“That’s because it is. This was meant to be a surprise for my… my lady.” Although Axakk’s interactions with Death had definitely steeled her slightly, she was still terrible at holding back her flustered nervousness. “I wanted to give you somewhere that you could call home.”

Making her way over to the very front of the command bridge with Death close behind, she reached one of the angled portions and peered out through the glass, pointing down at what they had been working on. The asteroid looked mostly natural around the edged, but the top surface had been given an Ankh-shaped metal core that acted as the bulk of the living space. Even in a half-completed state, it was looking impressive.

“You’re… making me a home?”

“Of a sort. I understand that we have a complicated relationship. I do not expect you to live with me, or to see me as your only partner. I only want a place that can let you relax. You do a difficult job beyond anything I can even understand, and you deserve peace.”

Death’s expression had changed. It wasn’t one of either joy or sadness, but a strange mixture of the two, coated in awkwardness. “Axa, I… appreciate… the effort…”

“I know that you do not need it, Death. I created it anyway. Even if it remains unused, I wanted to show that I care for you.”

“No, it’s not that.” The pale woman’s hand idly pressed against the glass surface as she tried to figure out how to word her next sentence. “Haven’t you… built a temple, in a way?”

“A temple.”

“It’s… a hidden structure with the Ankh symbol all across it. It’s dedicated _to me_. You’ve accidentally made a _place of worship_ for me.”

“I did not consider it that way. Interesting.” The Lich placed one hand on the other lady’s bone-white shoulder, but only gently. “That may make it even more appropriate.”

“Don’t the Grineer generally frown on things like this?

Axakk lowered her voice, trying to mentally quiet the pounding of her artificial heart “I would not know. I am not Grineer. Not anymore.”

Death didn’t appear to have a response, and simply let out a confused mumble, turning her head towards the Lich.

“Physically, I will never be anything else, but that is irrelevant. To be Grineer is to serve the Queens, and to serve the Queens is to be Grineer.” ‘Queens’ had been instinctive – Axakk knew it was technically incorrect now. “I do not want to serve them anymore. There is no joy to be had as a Kuva Lich. I wish to serve you instead, my lady Death. You can offer me happiness. They cannot.”

None of the remaining crew had heard her, but Axakk was still far from comfortable. She had no idea what the statement actually _meant_ , let alone how Death would react so something so out-of-the-blue.

“I’m not… refusing, but…” Death’s eyes were full of confusion, something she hadn’t displayed before. It was concerning. “…isn’t this a bit _soon_? You’re acting like we’re married, or something, but we’re only-“

“I would not be averse to that.”

“You-”

Before Axakk could level any more questions or statements at the smaller lady, Kuul spoke up from the back of the room, her voice wavering with extreme fear for her own personal safety. “Ex… excuse me, Commander! The main rooms are completed, there is mostly external construction left. Y-you can visit it safely, if you would like.”

Softly taking Death’s thin hand in her own large metal paw, the Lich slowly led her back towards the rest of the Galleon, heading for the nearby bay that housed some officer-owned Bolkor dropships. For a surprise visit, the arrival of the immortal woman had been timed almost perfectly.

\---

Despite Grineer engineering being fairly spotty in most cases, the Lich was honestly very happy with how this new project had turned out. Unlike the majority of quick constructions, paint had been applied liberally to almost every surface: naturally, at least three-quarters of the entire structure was black, not counting the silver-coated Ankh symbols that adorned most of the walls. While it was still clearly following the same design concepts as regular Grineer asteroid bases, this one had been made for visual appeal, not war.

The main room – itself shaped like a large Ankh – was the main feature on display. Although Axakk hadn’t considered it at first, it was very close to a temple. The rest of her crew were either too stupid or too apathetic to care, if they had even considered it at all, but there was still a tiny twinge of worry inside her. Would the Queens have a problem with this? It wasn’t worship, not exactly, but…

“Are you alright, Axa? You’ve been quiet since we docked.”

Death had been pleasantly surprised by her gift, but there was still something in her face that hinted at a much more complex set of opinions beneath the surface. They had been walking together for a good few minutes now, and the Lich hadn’t even noticed how silent she had been. “I am fine.”

A small, pale palm pressed against the mechanical outer layer of her lower back. “We’re alone in here, you can tell me. I don’t mind taking the time to listen.”

“I am… confused, Death.” The large Grineer continued to face the big Ankh that sat in the middle of the room, acting as the support pillar for such a large area. Above it, reinforced windows allowed the immense Galleon to loom over them. “We have not known each other long.”

“I wouldn’t say that, we’ve gotten close.”

“Yes. Too quickly. I am not… like this with others. I do not understand what is different about you.” A strange, fuzzy feeling began to flow through the remaining biological parts of her chest. “I feel… a strong desire. To serve you.”

Casually strolling around the Lich’s body to face her properly, Death smiled. “Is that a bad thing, though?”

“Yes. The Queens execute even those who refuse to fight. Serving another would spell my death, and the deaths of my crew.” Losing some of her composure, Axakk hunched over slightly, her stress building. “It would ruin everything.”

Death didn’t frown, nor did she show any kind of surprise. She just kept smiling. “Axa, you’re… very different from most of the people I’ve met. I’ve bent the rules to keep you around, and you’ve bent your rules to keep _me_ around. It sounds like you’ve already decided what you want to do.”

“But the Queens will-“

“Axa, I’m Death. Even if they wanted to kill you, they need my permission.” Reaching down to her Ankh necklace, she pulled it away from her chest, showing both sides to the Lich. “This isn’t a meaningless symbol, you know. It’s a symbol of life.”

Axakk nodded. She had her doubts, but Death clearly knew more than her about how the universe – and everything outside of it – worked. “I should worship you?”

“I don’t… really _ask_ people to do that. It just sort of happens. People worship whatever gives them meaning. I wound _never_ demand that somebody worship me.”

“You give me meaning.”

The Lich had to hold back a snort of amusement as she saw Death’s pale face flush ever so slightly red. She turned to look at the Ankh pillar, then back at the Grineer. “So… you _do_ worship me?”

Axakk, for the first time in her life, knelt before somebody other than the Queens. Layers of mental conditioning and forced servitude were unravelling as her throat struggled to speak the words that had been locked in her mind for years, never finding a suitable target until now.

“I am yours, Lady Death.”

Death failed to surpass a small giggle, which made the Grineer smirk in turn. She put on a mock falsetto voice, acting as if she was playing a caricature of a royal or noble. “Then arise, o noble servant of Death.”

A large weight had been lifted from Axakk’s shoulders, even though she couldn’t explain exactly what had caused it, or why. She had, in one way or another, broken through a barrier that had been lodged in her mind ever since her ‘birth’ as a clone. Her brain only caught up to the world around her when she noticed Death stepping closer, pale hands rushing against the metal plating of her thighs.

“Lady Death?”

“You’ve given up a lot for me, Axa. You build me a _temple_. You deserve a reward, and I know how I can fulfil part of it.” Her hand moved down to the crotch plating that was built into the Lich’s lower body. “If you want this, of course. You don’t have to say yes.”

“I do.”

Axakk _did_ want this. Every time Death was near, she found herself revitalised just a little bit, and was often hoping that things would get intimate again. While she was more than capable of satisfying herself, Death was… she made it _special_. The pale woman slowly undid the panels between the Lich’s legs, removing the metal with her usual combination of enthusiasm and grace. “You’re already wet.”

“Do not blame _me_ for that.”

Shaking her head and smirking, Death led the now-exposed Lich over to the big Ankh pillar, gesturing for her to rest against the wall. Axakk did so, her body already starting to desire a more physical connection.

Death sank down onto her knees, and the Grineer got exactly that, courtesy of the immortal woman’s delicate fingers. Due to the notable difference in size, she was able to place two fingers on the Lich’s sensitive slit at once, carefully rubbing at the surprisingly healthy cloned flesh that formed the lips.

Axakk hadn’t been prepared for Death to take the lead this time, but now that it was actually happening, she was excited to see where it went. Her face, or what biological parts were left, quickly grew redder as the small touches of pleasure quickly grew into something much harder to ignore. The Lich was rarely at the mercy of a partner, given her status and size, but Death wasn’t hesitating in the slightest.

The gentle rubs quickly turned into defined and targeted strokes as Death played with her new worshipper, taking the time to enjoy what she was seeing. She wasn’t being brutal, far from it, but the way that Death approached the task in front of her was definitely unique. Letting out a low and slightly strained groan, the Grineer tried to relax and take in the sensations.

Something was eating away at her, though.

“Lady D-Death…”

Instantly, her partner stopped. “What? Is something wrong?”

“I… want to try being… on top…”

Death didn’t respond, but she also didn’t object – taking only a second to process the request, she backed away and carefully set herself down on the hastily-carpeted floor, reclining slightly and offering the Lich a full view of her body. “Go right ahead. I’ll tell you if it’s too much.”

Leaning forward and kneeling down until she was able to reach the floor, Axakk awkwardly fumbled forward and planted her hands on either side of Death’s head, using her artificial muscle to support her upper body. Her partner was technically pinned under her – she was hesitant to put any weight on the smaller lady’s body, though. Given their relative sizes, she might even shatter or snap under the full mass of a Kuva Lich.

It had, unfortunately, happened before.

Taking care not to misplace any part of her body, the large Grineer manoeuvred her hips forward, the very tip of the artificial phallus brushing against her slit. It was enough to elicit a low groan from both of them, the first of many to come.

Axakk was deliberately delaying things to try and push a few more moans out of her partner, rubbing back and forth while using both arms to support herself. It was a small movement, but one that really all hit the right spots, bringing a stronger blush and slightly panicked expression to the immortal’s face.

For a minute or two, things remained at this slow pace, with the Lich doing everything she could to test Death’s patience and ability to restrain herself. The Grineer wanted nothing more than to grab her lady’s hips and get things moving, but she didn’t want to outpace herself. Artificial nerves and mechanical sensors sent every moment of contact through her body as pleasure, feeling just as real as it ever had.

The hard part wasn’t supporting herself, but making sure that she wouldn’t inadvertently crush Death.

“I do not want to hurt you, Dea-“

“You won’t. Do your worst.”

Although the position felt awkward, especially due to their respective sizes, she found it easy enough to slip the phallus inside her partner. They were face-to-face, letting her get a good view of the pale smile suddenly being disturbed by a hushed gasp. There was no need to start at a high speed, and the Lich kept her motions slow, trying to draw things out so that she was able to get a feel for how this would work.

Death looked _tiny_ , more so than when she had been on top. Judging by the combination of mild fear and obvious arousal in her perfect eyes, she too had noticed how massive Axakk could be from the right angle.

Gentle moans slipped out of the pair as they carefully adjusted the way their bodies moved, trying to work out the ideal combination of angles and motions to make the situation work properly. Taking the careful approach and gently increasing the speed of her thrusts without overwhelming her smaller lover, the Grineer eventually managed to find the ideal hands-and-knees stance that kept both of them comfortable, allowing her to focus more on the woman beneath her.

“Even here, you are perfection, Lady Death.”

“I’m-“ the reply was cut off before it began as the increased motion forced Death’s lungs to draw breath. It made Axakk snicker, although she too was quickly cut off by her own grunts of effort mixed with mumblings of pleasure. The large, empty space meant that every sound was echoed and amplified twofold, with each of Death’s pleased moans seeming to stretch on forever.

The skin contact soon grew faster and more intense, with the Lich putting more and more passion into what she was doing. The Neurodes in the Grineer-made phallus were sending every signal back to her brain, but she _wanted_ to please Death more than herself. Something about the pale lady, even in her current state, demanded all kinds of praise and respect. Between each thrust, her brain combined two different trains of thought: her Grineer programming, demanding her to conquer all, and her love for this woman, which demanded that she gave Death a good time.

**_It could be both._ **

A smirk crept onto her determined face as she began to move even faster, her hands gripping the metal flooring hard enough to make it creak. Surprise flashed in Death’s eyes as she looked up and saw the change of expression, but she didn’t protest, giving the large soldier a brief nod between loud groans.

“You - are – my - lady.” Each word was punctuated by a thrust, ones that were backed by a sudden wave of emotion. “I – would not – have any – other.” Her speech had become much lower, reminding her of the way she used to growl at particularly disobedient subordinates. “I want – to give – myself – to you.”

The sound of Death’s body making contact with her own over and over again only served to push her further into a carnal mood, with the smaller woman obviously following suit. There was something about the way her eyes were locked on Axakk’s face that betrayed how much she was asking – no, _begging_ – for the full extent of the Grineer’s lust.

She wasn’t one to deny Death her wishes.

Pulling her head back up and raising one of her arms, the Lich grabbed her partner’s pale hip and took control of both their bodies, holding on with just enough force to move the entirely of Death’s lower half. In response, the immortal being cursed under her breath, trying to stammer out a few words that couldn’t reach past the bottom of her throat.

“Axakk Otikk – conquers all.”

Suddenly, without warning, something inside her seemed to snap into place. The Old Blood, usually stagnant and only called upon in extreme circumstances, had begun to boil, the raw power of its nature rushing through her body and sending a strange sensation into her brain. The thrusts didn’t stop, with Death practically moaning every other second from the constant motion that she was being subjected to.

**_“Fuck!”_ **

It was the loudest sound she had ever heard Death make, and for a moment, Axakk though that she had harmed the woman. It took her a few moments to notice an obvious feeling of wetness surrounding the sensors in the artificial phallus, and she pulled away, keeping one hand on her partner’s slightly-twitching hip. Her own body had climaxed as well, but she didn’t even feel tired, let alone fully satisfied.

She wanted to let Death rest. She wanted to see if Death was alright. She wanted to make Death happy. The Old Blood was clouding her mind, pushing her towards another option, something that she was almost surprised to hear coming out of her own mouth.

“More?”

Death’s breaths were harsh and rough, but she managed to smile anyway, placing one hand on her chest. “I can… go as long as you want… me to, Axa…”

“Then more. Prepare.”

Shifting her position slightly, she felt a more animalistic part of her brain begin to flare up as both hands came to rest on either side of Death’s pelvis, the smaller woman gasping at the sudden cold touch of the Lich’s metal hands. Not entirely understanding where her stamina or desire had come from, Axakk lowered herself down between Death’s legs and jumped at the chance for a taste.

There was zero hesitation. No sooner had Death gotten herself into a comfortable spot did she gasp again, with the Grineer’s tongue launching straight into an all-out war against her pale, highly-sensitive areas. Axakk wasn’t just looking to please her partner, she wanted to _completely overwhelm_ her.

Death tasted good. For somebody whose entire being was connected to the ending of life, there was an odd sweetness there, one that she couldn’t get enough of. The moans and groans that followed each change of pace or direction made it even better, and for a moment all of her other worries vanished. There was no Origin System, no Grineer empire to persecute her, and no enemies to fight – there was only Lady Death.

That was all she needed.

It wasn’t long before Death came again, her body shaking slightly at the intense way that Axakk had started to approach it. The Old Blood still ran hot, and after getting another confirmation that it was okay to continue, the Lich started up against, barely even giving herself enough time to breathe.

She didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but making Death feel such pleasure over and over again was satisfying a huge part of her craving. The taste on her tongue, the sounds of her lover, and the lack of any other concerns to invade her thoughts were putting her in a state of strange bliss, one that she never wanted to leave.

Again, Death came, and again, the Lich continued.

This time, she briefly used some of her fingers, trying to coax out some new sounds from the tiny, pale woman. Even so, her tongue was the part that finished her off, leaving Death’s muscles in the midst of small spasms as yet another orgasm rocked through her.

By the time Axakk felt herself roll over onto her back, her mind slowly cooling as her eyes adjusted to the sight of the glass window above them, she had lost count. She was gasping for air and her facial muscles ached, but there was a warmth in her chest that she had only experienced once or twice before in her entire life. Something familiar.

Death, whose hair had become a puffy mess, had all but collapsed onto the metal floor. Evidently, even immortal beings had their limits, and the way that she writhed against the surface betrayed the fact that the pleasure hadn’t fully left her body yet. She was muttering things, but they weren’t words – it was whatever sounds her body could make, given the circumstances.

Everything smelled, and it took the Grineer a whole two minutes before she could even sit up. By the time she was able to get on her feet and regain enough focus to take in the world around her, she had noticed that her immortal lover was apparently fast asleep, presumably having completely fallen apart at the very peak of the pleasure bell curve.

“You are beautiful.” The statement was aimed at Death, not that she expected it to be heard. “I do not deserve your attention.”

There was no response, of course. Bending down and scooping up the naked lady in her large metal arms, the Lich fumbled her into a bridal carry, resting the immortal’s black-haired head against her chest. She took a few steps towards the corridor that led back to the hangar, but stopped, feeling a sudden presence behind her.

Turning to face the giant Ankh in the centre of the room, Axakk paused, letting a small smile take over her normally-stressed face. These last few days had felt like a dream, but it wasn’t one she wanted to wake up from any time soon.

She _needed_ Lady Death.


End file.
